Castaway
by Fruipit
Summary: Elsa's no ordinary vet, and when she gets a little visitor, she realises she's taking care of no ordinary animal. [Urban fantasy, bat!Anna and human!Elsa]
1. Chapter 1

_because everyone needs to read the utter adorableness of bat!anna :) originally posted for an Elsanna-Shenanigans' monthly prompt. There are more chapters incoming :)_

❄︎

As a vet for the arcane, not the mundane, Elsa had seen her fair share of things she liked to classify as _Weird Shit_.

Weird shit like the poor necromancer who had tried to resurrect his beloved pet guinea pig... four months after her death. The poor thing was still alive and kicking, in the loosest sense of the word. At least her arthritis was virtually non-existent, though she had a tendency to fall apart whenever she moved.

Rest in pieces.

Then there was also the high school football club who had tried to raise an actual wolf cub to be their mascot. They thought that, given half of them were some variety of lycan themselves, that it would be an easy time.

They did not know how to raise any kind of child, let alone a non-human one. Also, as it turned out, the 'wolf' was actually half-wolf, half... something else. Elsa hadn't even been able to identify it, nor did she want to. The creature went with the endangered and protected animal folk. She'd convinced the boys to just get a regular dog, or find a full-lycan (or even just a furry) who could mascot for them.

What _did not_ classify as Weird Shit was the vampire bat who came to her clinic, one Thursday morning just after sunrise. It flew inside the open door – above the 'all welcome!' floor mat – and flopped helplessly on the table, one leg broken and with a fractured wing. She was fairly sure this particular creature was actually all vampire, but it had taken the form and she wasn't about to begrudge someone healthcare. Especially given that, unsurprisingly, a vampire in bat form was very different to a vampire in human form, and it was hard enough getting non-discriminatory health care even shaped like a human.

So she fixed up its wing and foot and put it in an unlocked cage so when it was ready, it could leave.

It didn't.

That was... odd. It was entirely possible the little bat was just that – a bat – but Elsa had her doubts. Mostly because the bat didn't act like a bat. The whole nocturnal thing notwithstanding, this bat actually acted more human than a vampire, too.

It seemed drawn to bright lights, though it still skirted away from the sun. It seemed interested in eating food other than the blood of the little insects and mice Elsa brought (and yes, she knew of the irony of a vet, killing an animal for another animal). This bat ate grapes from the palm of her hand!

And also, when Elsa tried to check the gender, she got a very indignant flutter of wings in her face, accompanied by some rather intense screeching.

So, probably a full vampire. But then... why were they still a bat?

So, about a week-and-a-bit after the bat first arrived, Elsa finds herself studying up on vampire culture. She asks a few of her vampire friends (of which there is one. online. whom she'd never met face-to-face before.)

(... it's a vampire forum. anyway.)

There doesn't seem to be any reason for why this little vampire's 'stuck', as it were. By the time the weekend rolls around, though, Elsa's actually become properly concerned. Perhaps she needs some help? Like, professional help?

Entirely possible, but there may be simpler options. One suggestion just says "coax a conversation", as though bats are actually capable of talking.

Still, it doesn't hurt to try, right?

So, the next day when Elsa arrives to work, she spends a little longer with the vampire. They come out of the cage and crawl onto her coat with its claws, and it's actually really cute. Cute enough that Elsa pulls her phone out and takes a cute selfie and makes it her phone's background image. She might be imagining the blush on the bat's little face.

"Hey, buddy," she says, scooping it up and placing the little creature on her desk. It's really a very tiny bat, perhaps no larger than her hand. Are they supposed to be that small? "Are you stuck? You're a vampire, right?"

The bat just blinks at her. She sighs, and pushes her glasses further up her nose.

"Okay, so I'm either going crazy, or you _are_ a vampire. And that's completely okay, okay? It's not going to change anything. But I _am_ getting a little concerned because you've been in this form for a while now. Is everything okay? Can you at least tell me your name?"

Still nothing. Bringing a hand up, she pinches her forehead. There isn't much else to say. She's not even sure the bat can understand her, even if it were a vampire – is there a limit on how long they can stay like that before they lose themselves? And how was this creature supposed to even respond, even if she can understand?

But there's nothing she can really do about that, so Elsa just goes about her work. There's a phoenix who's about to regenerate and she needs to make sure it's not going to take the whole building down with it when it erupts. By the time she returns, several hours and a little singed later, she realises that the bat is still on the table, and is holding a pen twice its size. She Ignores the little bat moving around her desk, shuffling pens and paper and not really being a nuisance. Just being there. Thought the pen thing is weird.

After about ten minutes, she hears a little squeak. Naturally, she goes over to investigate.

On the back of one of her reports – which she'll absolutely have to reprint later – there's four letters.

A-N-N-A

Anna.

"Your name is Anna?" Elsa asks. The bat just blinks at her, but there seems to be some recognition.

Anna it is, then.

❄︎

They fall into an easy rhythm. Anna's wing heals, but she refuses to go outside to hunt, instead preferring whatever little scraps Elsa can find. She's good, and doesn't drink the blood of the other cats and dogs and... others... while she's here, so Elsa's kind of content to let her stay as long as she wants.

It's why she's so disappointed, one cold, rainy day, to find Anna gone. Her cage – which isn't ever shut, now, because she likes to sleep under the security camera in the corner but all her stuff is there – is empty, and she's not in her usual haunts. It's been almost a whole month, and it only made sense that she'd pack up and move on soon. Surely she has her own home, or family. A familiar or a thrall, at least?

So Elsa tugs on her coat and swallows her disappointment. She makes a mad dash for her car, and halfway home she has to pull over because there's something moving in her coat.

Anna lets out a very annoyed chitter when she's finally extricated, her claws stuck in the wool of Elsa's sweater. Elsa just sighs. It's dark and late and she doesn't really want to go back to the clinic to drop Anna off. And it's evident that she _is_ a vampire, who is for some reason unable or unwilling to return to her usual form, which means that she's making an active decision and it's not really fair on Elsa to keep her alone at the clinic.

So she just sighs once more and moves Anna to her shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure you would have entered without permission, had I not noticed you," she says. "And I would have been very irritated if you'd thrown up or burst into ash or whatever it is vampires do when they break the rules."

Anna gives an undignified squeak, and Elsa smiles. "Yes, you are welcome in my home. Might be nice to have some company."

It's all well and good, and Elsa actually finds she likes having Anna around. She forgets that the little creature living in her coat, sleeping hanging on a lamp, is a person – sort of – that she's let into her home. But Anna doesn't take advantage. Elsa doesn't wake up with another body over her, little teeth in her throat. She actually even begins willingly offering her blood, just a little pinprick for Anna to consume.

After all, to a vampire, human blood was that which truly sustained them. Perhaps she wasn't getting enough nutrients from the rats.

Even as Elsa thinks that to herself, she scrunches her nose up. Poor Anna.

She's on the verge of calling for a proper vampire doctor – she doesn't have one on the books, but there's a mob on the edge of town that could help – because Anna's still not changing back and Elsa can't think of why. A spell, maybe? Is she stuck? She's been able to communicate once before, so why not now?

Except Elsa doesn't get a chance to call because one morning there's a strange man at the door of her clinic. He's got a suit and a suitcase and looks really put together.

Notably, though, he doesn't have an animal with him. Is he... here to pick up for someone else?

And then he smiles and she sees the fangs and Elsa has an idea of why he's here and she's pretty glad Anna's still sleeping in her lab pocket.

"Hi," he says, voice smooth like butter. "Hans Westerguard. I'm trying to track down a lost little vampire – my fiancée, actually. I was wondering if anyone had come through?"

Elsa's hands are trembling, and she puts them in her pockets to hide. Anna's awake and shaking too. She curls into the small cup her fingers make and then doesn't move.

"I'm sorry. I'm a vet – I don't treat vampires," she says, somehow without her voice cracking. If anything, though, his smile becomes wider.

"Even if she looked like a bat? She's ah... not been behaving, see. So she won't look like a vampire, even if she wanted to."

Elsa's horrified. Her eyes widen, and she feels a little sick. She's glad she's human at the moment because vampire politics sound absolutely disgusting – though, they have the stereotype of being old fashioned. Seemed, in some aspects, that were true.

She sucks in a breath, and squeezes Anna just a little – to reassure the bat, or herself, she's not entirely sure.

"If I see any, I'll let you know," she says, and the frigidity of her voice surprises even her. Hans pulls back a little, evidently feeling the same way. His smile drops, and it's weird because he doesn't actually look any crueler without it.

"I hope so..." he says. "Otherwise, I'm afraid she'll be stuck like that forever, and you know bats. They don't tend to live very long."

And even while Elsa's still absorbing that, he vanishes. She hopes she never sees him again.

Though it does get her thinking. Hand still in her pocket, thumb rubbing over top of Anna's head, she ponders. Sits in her office chair and thinks, because now she has a better idea of what's going on, she has an idea for how she can fix it.

Picking up the phone, she rings an old friend.

❄︎

Kristoff hasn't changed at all. Shaggy blonde hair, and a permanent five o'clock shadow. He looks at Elsa with large, brown eyes, studying her as she steps forward and holds out her hand.

"Hey, Kris," she says. He takes it. His hand is warm in hers.

"Hi, Els. Wasn't really expecting a call from you, to be honest."

She grimaces. They were old... well, the word _friends_ doesn't really work. Acquaintances? Perhaps. They'd gone to school together – had gone into the same profession, even. Kristoff, with his abilities, had a harder time than she.

"How's the farm?" she asks, and he shrugs.

"Good. It's good. I don't want to be rude, Elsa, but..." He wants to know why she rang, why she's asked to meet him at a random coffee shop that neither of them have ever been to, and probably never would again. Elsa purses her lips.

"I need a telepath–"

"Shh!" he hisses. "Animal whisperer and _empath_, okay?"

Elsa winces. She'd forgotten how he felt about that word; while she didn't think it fair he felt he had to hide, she also didn't have to deal with the stigma of people thinking you could hear their deepest darkest secrets. Kristoff's abilities were peripheral; he had very little control over them. She couldn't blame him for moving out in the middle of nowhere, just him and his dog, growing vegetables. It suited him.

"Sorry," she apologises. "I just... have a very special client. And I want to help her but there's not a lot I can do because she can't tell me. Trust me, Kris, I wouldn't ask if it weren't important."

He knows that. It's what makes him sigh and scratch his cheek before nodding. "Fine, what do you want me to do?"

This will be the tricky part. Putting her hand in her pocket, she pulls out Anna, who's fallen asleep. It's kind of adorable.

"This is Anna. She's not supposed to be a bat. At least, not all the time. Her family- I didn't get much information, but it sounds like being forced to remain in this form is punishment. I want to figure out how to get her back."

"I'm pretty sure your duty of care was over as soon as you realised she was a vampire, Elsa," Kristoff says blandly. She frowns because it's not about that. Not at all.

"Trust me, if you'd seen the guy who came asking about her, you'd feel the same way. Please Kris? Just see if you can find out anything that could help?"

He exhales once more before holding out his hand. Elsa passes over the sleeping bat. She wakes up and begins flapping her wings, trying to get away, but Kristoff has a good grip on her. Luckily it's late and they're in the corner of the coffeeshop.

"Hey, hey, Anna? It's me, okay?" Elsa says, leaning forward so Anna can see her. "Kristoff is a friend, okay? We're trying to help."

She settles down, but only just. Evidently, she's not very happy, but at least she trusts Elsa enough to listen to her. Kristoff closes his eyes, thumb running from the tip of Anna's nose to the top of her head in long, soothing motions, and Elsa can see her eyes flutter shut, too. She looks so peaceful.

They sit there for a long time. Elsa finishes her drink, but there's no motion from either Kristoff or Anna. It's always an experience, witnessing him commune with creatures.

Finally, a good half an hour after he'd closed his eyes, he opens them again. They're red and kind of glassy. Gently, he passes over Anna, who seems to be fast asleep. Elsa holds her against her chest. "Well?"

"She's weak. And not like... physically weak. More like a kind of magic? I'm not really familiar with it. If she can get some proper nutrients, she might regain enough strength to fight off whatever spell is causing this, but that's a big if."

Elsa looks down at the little bat cradled against her. Anna's eyes open, and she blinks blearily at Elsa before realising she was back _with Elsa._ She holds on with her little claws and climbs up to Elsa's head, splaying herself on top of Elsa's white-gold hair.

She sees Kristoff smile, and can't help but do the same. It's cute.

"Okay. I'll see what I can do."

❄︎

Elsa's a vet. She has access to some blood for transfusions, and while dog and cat blood isn't really what she's after, she does have some pig's blood. That's close to human, right?

So she brings it home and she's got a couple of bottles for feeding baby animals, so she fills one up and puts the rest of the blood in the fridge. It takes a while to coax Anna to drink it, and at first it seems like she simply doesn't like the taste. But, after she's had an entire bottle, she gets this dazed look about her. Her tummy swells and she throws up almost all of it. She just looks so completely drained.

So next time, Elsa warms it up in the microwave first. It seems to make a little difference. Anna still doesn't seem particularly enthused about drinking it, but at least it stays down. Elsa invites Kristoff over for another 'reading', and this time it only takes about ten minutes before he's putting Anna down and shaking his head.

"It's not enough. She'll never get enough from the- what is it, sheep's blood?"

"Pig..."

"She'll never get enough from that. She's a vampire, Elsa. The answer's pretty obvious."

He leaves after that – he's got another appointment of some kind – leaving Elsa to contemplate his words. He's definitely right, of course, but she had hoped...

It doesn't really matter what she'd hoped. There seems to be only one answer. At least Anna was clean – she'd done all the usual checks.

So, turning the heater up, Elsa puts Anna on her pillow while she goes to have a long soak in the bath. It's very rare for anyone to die from feeding a vampire, but it has been known to happen; if it were going to happen to her, she at least wants to be clean. Also, Anna would much prefer clean skin over dirty, and it definitely makes Elsa feel a little more comfortable about the whole thing.

By the time she returns, Anna's dozing on the bed, wings tucked in tight around her. It's a rather cute sight, and Elsa can't help but smile a little. Scooping her hands up under Anna's small body, she lifts her from the pillow. The light jostling wakes her up, and Anna gives a tired chirp.

And then Elsa puts her up on her shoulder – because that was traditional, right? – and Anna lets out a much more urgent squeak. Elsa pulls her back, just to look at her.

"It's okay, Anna," she says with a small smile. "I want to help, and this... is probably the only thing that will actually make a difference. It's fine." Anna shakes her head, and Elsa uses the opportunity to brush it with her thumb. "Anna, you know the rules around this. I can't make you... but I can make it clear that I am saying this is okay. You're in need, and maybe you're not a regular bat, but I made a promise to help all sick and injured animals to the best of my ability. This is the best of my ability."

Anna just looks at her for a few more moments. Elsa keeps smiling, trying to be as encouraging as she can. She's never done this before, but it's not unheard of. She just wants to help.

Finally, Anna seems to make a decision. She crawls up to rest on Elsa's shoulder, though she doesn't do much else yet. Elsa laughs when she moves her nose against the sensitive skin – it tickles! – before settling back down so she's half-lying, half-sitting on the bed. There's a TV in the corner, so she flicks it on for a bit of background noise. Takes her glasses off and puts them on the bedside table so they don't get broken or lost. And then she waits.

She doesn't have to wait for long.

Elsa definitely feels it when the fangs slide in. They're not needle-sharp, and it's impossible to hold back the hiss of pain, or the wince. But it very swiftly turns into something else, something she didn't expect.

It's common knowledge that vampire saliva has an analgesic, but Elsa doesn't expect it to feel... like _that_. To feel so good.

She tries not to move; tries to just breath through it because there's this warm curling in her stomach. And it's absurd because Anna is _literally_ drinking her blood, but she'd kind of be okay with Anna doing it again, too. Elsa's head goes fuzzy, and she lets out a little giggle.

If anything, Anna sucks harder, drinks faster; she seems pleased by Elsa's reaction, and Elsa's feeling pretty pleased herself. Her body burns, a fire spreading through her veins, and a hand comes up to rest against Anna.

Only against her, because she's... bigger now?

She hadn't realised her eyes were shut, but now that she's noticed, Elsa can't seem to find the energy to open them. Aside from the _spectacular _heat, everything also feels really heavy. Her legs are dead weight, and it takes too much energy to keep her hand against Anna. Even the little bat feels heavy, heavier than she has any right to feel.

Elsa becomes aware of her own breathing, deep enough to be felt down in her bones. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't open her eyes. Vaguely, she remembers what she's doing – feeding a vampire – and vaguely she knows that it's probably gone wrong somewhere, that Anna's taken too much.

But it feels so good, still. Elsa feels so close to something, and she can't even remember what it is. There's a burst of something, radiating out from her, and the heat within her blood spikes.

And then she finally loses her tenuous grip on consciousness. Her last thought is that Anna's drinking... kind of felt a little like kissing...

❄︎

Elsa isn't entirely sure when she regains consciousness. Part of her wasn't expecting too, probably. The shades are drawn and she reaches over for her phone.

It's dead.

Okay, so, she was out for a while. A long while. What happ- oh.

Her hand rises to her neck, and she feels every muscle burn with the effort. It's almost as though she was struck by a giant block of concrete. There's nothing on her throat except tender, sensitive flesh. It feels like a bruise, but there's nothing to suggest she'd been fed from.

There's a noise coming from the kitchen, like someone moving some things around, and Elsa realises she's absolutely, completely helpless. Her phone's flat and she can barely move.

But then another sound joins in: humming. And there's a few people it could be, but only one logical person, so Elsa wets her lips and tries to call out. 'Tries' being the operative word, because it seems like her voice has been taken, as well as her strength. She's about to try again when it becomes completely unnecessary.

"Oh thank fuck you're awake."

There's a woman standing in the doorway, holding a container of something. Across one arm is a towel, and even though Elsa has never actually met this person in her life, she has a feeling she knows who it is.

"A-Anna?"

There's a small smile, playing at the corner of Anna's mouth when she nods, taking a couple of steps forward. And now that's she's closer, Elsa can see the similarities between her and the man who came to find her, but also her... and the little bat that has been living with Elsa for weeks. They both have the same eyes, a bright green that just penetrates. Her hair's a little brighter red than the fur of her bat-form, but the same white streak is there. Elsa's sure there must be other things, but at the moment she's a little distracted because why is Anna even here?

And so she asks that, her frazzled mind not in any position to sugarcoat. Anna's still standing by the door, and she shifts uncomfortably. She's not wearing shoes. She is wearing Elsa's clothes.

"You... took care of me when I needed it..." she says, very softly. "So... I felt I needed to return that favour."

She takes a few steps forward after saying that, then sits on the edge of the bed, about level with Elsa's hips. She hasn't completely done up the flannel shirt she's wearing, and she evidently hasn't gone through Elsa's underwear drawer.

Her mouth goes dry.

"There's no wound now," she says softly. Elsa can see that in the container, there's some fresh water. It looks really good. "And it looks like your fever has broken. Vampire saliva's good for at least one of those, I guess. I'm- I'm really sorry. I didn't meant to take so much you'd lose consciousness."

"Why did you?"

It's an honest question, and Elsa asks it without malice or anger. She doesn't really care at this point, because she's still alive and Anna's beautiful and nothing really makes sense anyway.

"I- It's been a while since I had such a fulfilling feed," Anna admits softly. "And your blood... well, it's pretty gourmet."

Unexpectedly, Elsa laughs. It starts as a snort, and by the time she's done everything aches. But she's still smiling because it's such a ridiculous thing for Anna to say, and yet she did it anyway.

"Glad... glad to be of help."

Anna's smiling at her, and it's not really a humorous smile, or a grateful one. It's soft, and tender, and obviously tasting the blood of another person – or rather, drinking it straight from their body – is pretty intimate. Even as Elsa's thinking that, Anna's hand comes to brush her face, moving her hair.

"Thank you, Elsa. You... actually saved my life. Countless times. And I don't know how to repay you."

Elsa looks away, blood rising to her cheeks at the compliment. "Can I ask a question?"

Blinking, Anna nods.

"Why... were you forced to remain a bat in the first place?"

Anna looks away, shifting. She's pale – she's a vampire – and so the blush that rises to her face is not nearly bright enough to drown out the freckles. It makes a valiant attempt at it anyway.

"My uh, father. He found me in a... compromising situation. Given that I'm supposed to be marrying that turnip, Hans, he was not very impressed. He figured I couldn't commit any further 'sins of the flesh' if I weren't, uh, _of the flesh_, so to speak."

"Ah."

"Yep."

A silence falls between them, and Elsa's not really sure what to say. Or do. "Can't you just... run off with him? I'm sorry, I don't really understand vampire politics..."

Anna laughs, a short, clipped sound. "We live a long time. Monogamy isn't really our strong suit anyway. No, what my father had an issue with was the, ah, _gender_ of my partner. She wasn't very impressed to learn I was betrothed, either. Not that I really care. I don't love her. I just love being with her – with any woman, really."

Oh.

Elsa looks at her, blinking slowly. Her eyes feel like saucers, and while Anna's got an air of casualty about her, Elsa's spent enough time with her to see the tension. It's in the way her eyes keep darting around, the way she nibbles at her bottom lip; her fingers, reaching for nothing.

"In fact, I never thought I'd be the 'settle-down' type. Never been forced to stay in one place long enough, or with someone else, to get close. Before."

Was she- was she thinking what Elsa _thought_ she was thinking?

"You're not a bat anymore..." Elsa says slowly, before she can bite the words back. Anna's head jerks up. In for a penny, in for a pound. Elsa shrugs. "What I mean is..."

"Elsa..." Anna starts. And this is ridiculous, and Elsa's heart shouldn't fall the way it does at hearing her name in that slow, sad tone, but it does anyway. At least, until Anna speaks again.

"Do you... know what you're asking?"

And maybe Elsa doesn't, but she does know that she's really enjoyed the last month, having Anna around, and she likes how she looks and how she sounds and just how gracious and helpful and nice she's been. How much she cares. Elsa's nothing special, not compared to all the people who have these amazing abilities, but it doesn't seem like Anna cares much about that.

She kinda just seems to care about Elsa.

So, when she leans down, Elsa moves up to meet her part-way. Everything hurts, true, but it also feels like everything's a little better, too. Better with Anna here, with her kissing Elsa and Elsa kissing back.

Anna flew into her life, entirely by accident, and Elsa's happy to let her stay.


	2. Chapter 2

_happy new year! for those wonder, there's going to be around 4-5 chapters to this little ficlet :)_

_enjoy!_

* * *

There's a bit of a teething period, after Anna moves in – and of course she does, because it's not like she can exactly go home. Not now. Not that she really wants to.

Elsa isn't used to sharing her space with another person, is all. And Anna is...

Loud.

Affectionate.

Fun.

Spontaneous.

And, of course, a vampire.

She also doesn't have a job and isn't sure how taxes work, and she doesn't really understand why Elsa gets up at 4am so she can spend an hour getting ready for work.

"You're a vet," she says, "and it's not like the animals care whether you have a pimple or not."

Of course she'd say that because, as Elsa learns, vampires aren't exactly the stereotype that the movies make them out to seem.

Anna's not dead – or rather, she's not _undead_. She still has a heartbeat, the blood still moves around her body. It's just really hard to kill her through starvation, asphyxiation, sanguination, and any other types of '-ation'. She doesn't get her period, and she doesn't get pimples, and it's more like she's a different species of human altogether.

But a species you could become, given you catch the wrong virus. Anna was born a vampire, and seems to be a bit like royalty, the way she explains it. Arranged marriages and all that.

"About three or four years ago," she says nonchalantly over dinner. She can still eat human food, and still likes to; she just doesn't get any nutrients. Like if humans eat dirt, Elsa supposes, except dirt doesn't taste very good at all. "That was when my dad said I had to 'live up to the family name' or something. He introduced me to Hans, and it was a bit of a whirlwind, honestly. It was okay for a bit – I thought he was _the one_, y'know?"

She picks up her sandwich to take another bite, and doesn't finish chewing before she starts talking again. It's gross, but Elsa finds she doesn't care. "I met him and I thought I loved him. He was so charming. My parents were happy. We're... an old family. Pretty well-known. His is a little younger. Turns out that he never loved me, he just thought – and so did my parents – that a 'union' would be beneficial." She looks up. "It's hard to love a guy who is just using you as a pawn. So, I ran away."

"As a bat?"

Anna grimaces. "I uh, might have made a scene. Maybe I slept with another girl, and maybe she was from Hans' coven. Not a big deal, right?"

It very much _does_ seem like a big deal, but Elsa doesn't say that.

It actually makes Elsa uncomfortable when Anna talks about it – she's not sure if it's the vampire thing or the boyfriend thing, probably mostly the latter – but it honestly sounds like she hasn't _had _anyone to talk to in a long while. Plus, she does like hearing Anna talk.

Perhaps that's a side-effect of her getting to know Anna while she was a bat; while she couldn't easily communicate. Elsa's not much of a talker herself, so having the silence filled up with something other than her own thoughts does make for a nice change.

And there are many, _many_ other changes.

Elsa doesn't sleep alone. Not anymore. She _could_ make Anna take the couch, but she's actually really comfortable to sleep next to. Are they dating? Elsa's more than aware that Anna is _betrothed to someone else_, and yet she doesn't seem to particularly care for Hans, or ever seeing him again.

She likes kissing, and she likes kissing Elsa, and she likes kissing Elsa _a lot_. One of her favourite things to do while Elsa's on the couch is fly to Elsa's chest and then transform back into her person-shape. It means she's already in the prime position to start making out with her. So she does.

They haven't touched each other yet.

Anna doesn't feed from Elsa at first, mostly because there are plenty of substitutes created for vampires that don't actually want to, or can't, feed off people. Given all the rules around it, it's usually just easier to pop down to the butcher and grab a bag of pig's blood or something, or one of the synthetic blood snacks at the supermarket. There are all these famous vampire chefs that do amazing things, too, and at least Anna's polite enough to clean up after herself so Elsa doesn't have to smell it.

She also brushes her teeth so Elsa doesn't have to taste it, either.

But it doesn't take long before Anna starts feeding from her again, because it's obvious that she enjoyed it the last time she did it, and Elsa was interested in recreating that first feed again. Now that Anna's a person and not a bat, now that she can kiss her and then feed from her and then kiss her again.

It's actually a really good system, except for that one day that Anna accidentally bit her tongue chewing bubble gum. Vampires don't bleed like humans, but they still bleed. It had been Elsa to initiate the kiss that time, and it had taken a few minutes for her to notice the taste.

Vampire blood tastes different, too.

❄︎

Anna, Elsa learns, is actually not that old by vampire standards. Even by human standards, actually.

"I turn thirty next year," she says. Elsa's only a little younger than that, though it's easy to forget because she feels like the more responsible one. Anna's usually up to some kind of antic, and Elsa's just in it for the ride.

Like Elsa's first clubbing experience. Or rather, vampire clubbing experience. Elsa's not normally a fan, but Anna had seemed too excited. It's a vamp club, and Elsa feels very out of place. She needs a drink.

"Hey, I'm just gonna use the bathroom," Anna says when they've reached the bar. There's a huge crowd of people, and it seems impossible that Elsa will actually be able to get to the front to order the drinks. She feels Anna's hand on the small of her back before it retreats. She watches as Anna walks off, the tight pants she's wearing doing absolute wonders for her figure, and sinful things to Elsa's libido.

Anna's made it very clear, on multiple occasions, that she'd like to maybe do something with that libido, but she isn't one to push. Elsa... Elsa hasn't done that before. With _anyone_, let alone a vampire. Anna's already had experience doing that sort of thing. Would Elsa... be enough for her?

It takes almost ten minutes for Anna to return, and the only reason Elsa knows that is because it takes almost ten minutes to get to the front of the bar.

"That took a while," she comments mildly. Anna just shrugged.

"Saw an old friend, did a bit of catching up," she says. The bartender places two drinks in front of them, and Elsa passes over her card. "Ooh, what did you get me?"

"What do you mean? These are both for me," Elsa says. The way Anna's face falls makes her laugh, and she taps a freckled cheek briefly. "I'm joking. I just went with a vodka red bull because they had a deal on." The bartender gives her card back, and she lifts up her drink. "Cheers."

"Cheers!"

Elsa's really not a clubbing sort of gal. She likes drinking, and going out with friends, but not really putting the two of them together.

Especially not... here. She's sitting at a table, nursing her second drink. Maybe it's because she looks so nervous or tentative that no one approaches her. Everyone approaches Anna.

_Everyone_.

Anna's had about five drinks bought for her, and she's consumed every one. They're all vampire drinks, too, and they smell absolutely atrocious.

Maybe it's the nerves, but... it's probably because she's human. She's had some looks – raised eyebrows, scoffs. No one wants a human here, and she can't really blame them. This is a _vampire_ club.

Eventually, Anna's pulling her up to dance, though, and on the dark-light floor, no one really seems to pay her any attention. It makes it easier to let go of her inhibitions and just dance.

The dancing turns to grinding.

The grinding turns to kissing.

And eventually, Elsa has Anna pushed up against a wall, pressing against her as their lips fuse together. It's hot and wet and messy and Elsa kind of wants to go a little further. She can taste the drinks Anna imbued earlier, and the remnants don't taste as bad as they smelled.

Elsa doesn't notice how much she's pushing Anna until a security guard approaches them and asks them to cool it a little. She's not nearly drunk enough to mask the embarrassment, but as always, Anna's there with the save.

"Good idea," she says, voice low as she looks at Elsa. The security guard has already walked away when her hands connect to Elsa's hips. There's no way she'll be properly heard over this music, so she leans close enough to breath directly into Elsa's ear.

"Do you... wanna get out of here?"

And for the first time in her adult life, Elsa doesn't have to think about her answer.

❄︎

After they've made it back home and Elsa's lost all her clothes and her virginity; after she has a few new bite marks to spare, and has actually managed to return the favour; after all that, it really doesn't feel like much has changed anyway. She has a shower, leaving Anna dozing on the bed, mostly because she feels a little – okay _a lot _– grimy. Her skin is absolutely _littered_ with marks, and she wonders briefly why it took so long to sleep with anyone – to sleep with Anna.

Why she'd never felt this before – this urge.

She's never wanted to be with someone, and now she can't quite understand why.

Anna slides in behind her, silent. Her arms wrap around Elsa's middle. Her lips caress the back of Elsa's neck, and her hand dips lower.

At least this time she's already in the shower.

Elsa's at work, a few weeks after the club, when an unexpected – and unwanted – visitor rocks up.

Hans.

He's got another suit on, sideburns impossibly large against the side of his head. He smiles, showing off his long fangs, and to anyone else, it might look pleasant.

Not to Elsa.

"So, a little birdie told me our _favourite_ vampire has been seen up and about. With you."

There's no one else here, and Elsa finds herself taking half a step back. Hans isn't threatening her, but he's threatened _Anna_ before. Who knows what he's capable of?

"What do you want?" she asks, only somewhat pleased to note that her voice doesn't quiver. Seems she has more nerves around him than she thought.

He gives a long-suffering sigh. "It seems our engagement is off. We- _I_ was wondering if you'd give this to Anna for me. Her father... regrets his actions. He wants her home." He pulls out a letter from his coat. It's even sealed with wax, like wow, vampires are actually really extra. Anna slums it in a t-shirt and shorts, but Elsa has a feeling that she's probably more used to corsets and bloomers.

She still hesitates, but before she can make a decision – accept or refuse – he's putting the letter on the desk and backing away.

"Have a think about it."

And then he's pushing the door open and stepping out into the evening.

❄︎

Anna refuses at first. She reads the letter, a dark look clouding her face before she tosses it in the trash.

"I don't want to see him. I don't want to see _any_ of them," she says. Elsa makes a sympathetic noise in the back of her throat. She walks over, resting her hands on Anna's hips. Her head dips forward, kissing the side of her throat, and immediately she can feel Anna begin to relax.

"So we don't go," she says gently. "But maybe some closure would be good?" Anna grumbles, and Elsa pulls away. She has to ask. "The... gender thing. Is that all vampires, or just your family?"

She gets a sigh in return. Anna's forehead falls to Elsa's shoulder, and she just rocks it from side to side for a moment. "It's... I dunno, both? Mom and Dad... mostly Dad... are all about the family line. Lineage is really important for vampires. It tells people who we are, where we come from. Our beliefs and our morals are all tied in with our family. So if you don't, or can't, continue that... and if it isn't a _blood_ child... it's like you fail the most fundamental part of being a family."

Elsa doesn't have anything to say to that. What _can_ she say to that? So instead, she kisses Anna's cheek. "I think I'd like to meet your parents..." she says. "I mean... if you're still in your 'settle down' phase..."

Anna tilts her head, and Elsa can see the beginnings of a smile curling her lips. "I guess we could at least see how they're doing..."

❄︎

The party is being held on the following Friday. Anna rings her mom to tell her she'll be there, and that she's bringing a date. Elsa wonders, briefly, if they know she's a human. Probably not, but it's not like it really matters, right? Anna likes her for who she is, and she's not prepared to change that. Elsa's own parents passed away a few years ago, but she likes to think they'd be happy for her.

They're already dressed in their nice clothes when Anna lifts a hand. She brushes Elsa's hair back, showing off her throat; already, Elsa's tilting her head back. She likes feeding Anna, being fed _from. _Just a quick snack before they go out, right?

Except this time it's really... intense. It actually kind of hurts, and Anna pulls her teeth out just as roughly as she bit down. Elsa stumbles away, hand coming up to hold her throat.

It's so wet, and the smell of it is almost enough to have her gagging.

"A-Anna?" she asks. Her eyes are wide, and Anna just looks at her. Her face is a mess, blood smeared all across her mouth and her nose. She swallows.

"S-Sorry..." she starts. "I- I don't know where that came from..." And then her eyes widen and she hisses out an, "Oh God Elsa I'm _sorry_."

"You want me to walk into a vampire party covered in my own blood?"

Anna takes a step forward, and maybe Elsa steps back at the same time, confused and slightly alarmed, not quite scared but close enough. She doesn't know what to expect. Anna's hands rest on Elsa's hips as she leans down and begins licking away the blood before it reaches Elsa's dress. Anna swipes her tongue over the punctures once, just enough to seal them and stop the bleeding, but not enough to give it a jump-start on healing.

Anna... wants her to have the bite. Wants to be able to parade it around the other vampires. Elsa's not opposed to the idea – quite the opposite, actually – but it would have been nice to have known about this earlier.

She washes her hand and Anna cleans up her face, and then they're leaving for the party. Anna's not acting as excited as Elsa would have expected. She's holding herself all tense, back straight in the taxi. She doesn't look at Elsa.

It's only when they're outside the doors that Elsa pauses. She grabs Anna's hand with her right, and then uses her left to cup Anna's cheek. There's a speck of blood under her eye that she missed before, and Elsa smiles as she rubs it away with her thumb.

"Everything okay?"

Anna blinks at her slowly. She smiles, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, everything's fine. Ready?"

She's not, not at all, but Elsa still smiles. She squeezes Anna's hand and nods.

"Ready."

❄︎

Elsa absolutely is _not_ ready. They walk inside, the doors already unlocked, and it's about the fanciest fucking party Elsa's ever seen. Everyone's wearing dresses and tuxedos and this looks more like an actual proper engagement party.

Oh god, is Hans going to try to seduce Anna away? Was this all a ruse?

Her hand tightens in Anna's, unbidden. She gets a gentle squeeze in return.

Finally, though, they're noticed. A man and a woman approach, and at the contrite look Anna gets on her face, Elsa's pretty sure she can guess who they are.

"Hi, Mom. Dad."

"Anna..." her mother coos, stepping forward to hug her daughter. "We were wondering if you were ever coming home, darling..."

"Mom, I'm not- I'm not staying," she says, though she still returns the hug awkwardly. "I live with Elsa now. My... my girlfriend."

Tingles go up Elsa's spine at the word, and it soothes her just enough to get her to smile. She lets go of Anna's hand so she can hold hers out.

"Pleasure to meet you," she says. Anna's father looks her up and down, obviously dissatisfied. His eyes linger on the bite on her neck, and at once Elsa feels simultaneously ashamed and proud of it.

"Hmm..." he says. "A human?"

"What of it?" Elsa responds, voice cool even as her fingers twitch. She lowers her hand. He shakes his head, as though the idea that just went through it is so petty and useless it didn't even need verbalising.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. You are turning though, right? I'm afraid that it's a bit... _common_ to remain human. You'll die before Anna grows up!"

"Of course she will be, Dad, we're just- we're just waiting a bit first—"

"What, Anna? No I'm not." Elsa frowns at Anna, who turns to her with wide eyes. She blinks for a moment before she gives a shakey laugh.

"But..." she starts, awkward smile on her face. "You can't- you can't stay _human_."

"Why not?"

Oh dear. Anna's parents look between them, though Elsa can only focus on Anna. She's got this deer-in-headlights look, like she wasn't expecting such resistance.

Of course, before they can sort it out, they're interrupted.

"Is everything okay here?" Hans asks, sidling up next to Anna's mother. "I'm afraid that sound travels quite well in here and I couldn't help overhearing..."

"Hans, m'boy. Why don't you show Elsa around while I have a _chat_ with my daughter?"

Anna's looking at Elsa like the last thing she wants to do is be separated, but Elsa's irritated enough to follow the dismissal gladly.

"Might get a drink, too," she mutters under her breath as she takes a step back. Hans follows immediately, and Anna's helpless to fight the force that is her father. He leads her to the side of the room just as Elsa walks outside the large French windows and onto a deck of some kind.

Her hands clench on the banister and she wants to be alone. It's almost surprising that this hasn't come up earlier. It just seemed so petty – but, maybe it only was to her. Had Anna really been expecting her to turn? Like there was something wrong with being a human, like vampires were so much better?

Elsa's perfectly happy with her life as it is, without the need to undergo such a vast change. Sure the ageing thing will have to be dealt with, but she's not planning on going to the next life for a very, very long time.

"She was like that with me, too," Hans says eventually. Elsa had forgotten he'd even followed her. "Just saying what she thinks. It was usually funny, or nice, but sometimes..." He sighs. "It's probably for the best it didn't work out. She's far too much woman for me. And her hmm... _insatiability_ is only one reason." Her gives her a look, and Elsa knows he's not talking about feedings.

The thing is, he's _right_. Sex with Anna has been fun, amazing, hot, long, fulfilling... and scary. Elsa's never been big on marks in general, and vampire saliva is good for little nicks and scratches from her nails or her fangs.

But there was once where she lost control; pushed a little too hard, cut a little too deep. They'd had to stop and Elsa had locked herself in the bathroom for an hour trying to calm down. It hadn't happened since, but it probably shouldn't have happened _at all_.

Were humans so fragile?

She must be blushing, or have some other indication of her thoughts, because then Hans shifts. "It got a bit crazy, huh? Yeah, I'm pretty sure I still have scars..." _Oh God_. Elsa chokes. She tries to cover it, shaking her head and changing the subject because she does _not_ want to talk about her sex life; especially not with a person who has also slept with her girlfriend.

"Her dad turned her into a bat and you went along with it," she says instead. Hans takes a step foward so he can lean against the railing too.

"Yeah. It's so easy to get caught up in these... these vampire politics. My love for her got warped, and she deserves so much better. Someone like you, Elsa, who won't put up with her shit when she says or does something stupid."

Elsa looks down and sighs. "I should talk to her, shouldn't I?" He shrugs.

"She's probably getting yelled at, so she might appreciate it afterward. Would you like me to get you a drink while you wait?"

Finally, she looks up at him. He isn't smiling, which immediately makes this interaction feel so much nicer than the last two she'd had with him. She sighs.

"Maybe just one. Do they have any here for humans?"

He laughs. "Don't worry, we definitely have some drinks that no vampires in their right mind would consume."

It makes Elsa smile, even if she doesn't laugh. As she watches his back, she realises that she can see why Anna fell for him, and she can see why Anna left.

Maybe Anna deserves someone better than Hans, but, given the discussion they had earlier... maybe Anna deserves someone better than Elsa. Someone prepared to be with her forever; Anna was choosing to settle down with her. Wasn't it unfair that Elsa wouldn't be around forever to fulfill that?

❄︎

Hans returns before Anna does, two drinks in his hands. One is a caramel colour, clearly a rich person drink like scotch or bourbon (also clearly for him), while the other one is a dark red colour in a martini glass. Elsa raises an eyebrow as she takes it. He sees the look and holds his hands up in a surrender. "It's a vodka cranberry," he says. "Promise. Also, do you really think I'd give you the good quality blood we have here? That shit's expensive!"

It makes her laugh, and she finally lifts it to her lips. It definitely smells like vodka and fruit, though she doesn't drink enough to really be able to tell. Obviously they use the good quality vodka (... and the good quality cranberry juice).

"So..." he starts, after a few moments of silence. "I don't want to pry, but... why would you let Anna turn you if you don't want to be a vampire?"

Elsa looks at him blankly. "She hasn't- I'm not a vampire."

He tilts his head, then uses a finger to point at her throat. "That's- that's a turning bite. She didn't feed or anything, and it hurt more than usual, right?"

"Wait- wait _that's _what she did?"

He looks at her. "She... didn't tell you?"

Elsa's fingers clench around the stem of her glass, just before the reality sets in. Her eyes widen and she turns back towards the house. Anna's heading her way, and she just _seethes_. "Ohhh no oh no, oh shit. What the _fuck_, Anna, I'm going to fucking _kill_ her."

"Wait—" Hans puts his hand on her shoulder briefly, and she glares at him. "It's not- you haven't been turned yet," he says. "That's just one part. You've also gotta drink some of her blood. Maybe she did it, I dunno, in preparation. The bite wears off after a couple of days and then you'll be fine again."

Exhaling deeply through her nose, Elsa downs the rest of her drink. She puts the empty glass on a table and Hans doesn't stop her this time. She brushes past Anna, pausing only long enough to say in a low tone, "We're leaving."

Anna doesn't argue.

❄︎

"You- I'm sorry about earlier," Anna says once they're on their way home. "I wasn't thinking."

Elsa sighs. She wants to say something, but she's not really sure what to say. The anger at the mark on her neck, at Anna's expectations of their future, wars with the side of her that thinks... maybe this is for the best. That Anna would definitely be happier to have a vampire girlfriend – or at least a girlfriend willing to become a vampire.

"Why did you bite me?" she finally asks. Anna doesn't answer, and when Elsa looks at her, she can see the confusion there – the furrowed eyes, the frown. "Well?"

"I don't know."

"What?" She fully turns to look at Anna now, who's staring at her lap. Anna gives a shrug.

"I don't know why I did it. I- I was just going to kiss you but it didn't feel like it was enough."

That doesn't make a lot of sense to Elsa for a moment. Then, her eyes widen because... maybe subconsciously, in that moment, Anna knew what she wanted and she wanted... Elsa to be hers, forever.

And Elsa was happy with that, really. It was just that 'forever' meant two very different things to them. But then there was Anna's reaction to her parents...

"Have you ever been with other humans?" she asks softly. Anna crosses her arms.

"Define 'been with'." Oh, so that was how this was going. Elsa could play that game.

"Dated. Slept with. Whatever you want."

Anna sighs heavily through her nose. "No, I haven't. Does it matter?"

"Is that uncommon, then? Dating humans?"

"Sure, I guess. What's this about?"

And Elsa can't exactly say 'nothing', because she's the one probing Anna with this – probably strange, to her – line of questioning.

So finally she just asks, "Why are you with me?" in a really soft voice, tentative and unsure and hesitant.

Is Anna... just with her to get back at her parents? Get back at Hans? Is she with her because Elsa feeds her with both her body and her blood?

Anna doesn't answer, and her silence speaks volumes.

They go to bed together, facing away from each other. Elsa's getting a headache; she doesn't even move when Anna transforms and flies off, probably to hang under the lamp or in the closet.

She feels safe there, and it seems she needs it tonight.

Of course the tears come after that. Elsa just wants her Anna, but does that even mean the same thing anymore? They hadn't talked about being turned, but they haven't talked about a lot of things – marriage, kids, the whole shebang.

Perhaps they should have.

So Elsa sobs silently to herself until her headache gets too great; until her body burns with the effort and her limbs tremble with the pain.

She doesn't know how they're going to move on from this, but she desperately wants to try.

❄︎

Anna wakes up sometime in the middle of the night. The apartment is cold, but that could be because Elsa's arms aren't around her. It could be because she's hanging upside down in the living room, little wings wrapped around herself in a solitary hug.

She's confused for a moment, wondering why she woke up. Then, she hears a noise, and it _must_ have been because it's Elsa and she's crying out like she's in pain. Despite the fight, Anna can't just ignore that. Within seconds, she's raced into their bedroom and changed back. Elsa's curled up in the middle of the bed, sheets fallen off the side as she trembles. Not a surprise – it's cold tonight – but then Anna notices that she's _sweating_. A palm to Elsa's forehead just proves it when Anna realises her girlfriend is completely burning up.

"Els- Elsa?" She shakes Elsa's shoulder tentatively, and Elsa groans as she's dragged back to consciousness. She looks like _death_, pale and clammy, and she seems to have trouble focussing on Anna as she blinks blearily. "Elsa?"

"W-water..." she says, voice croaky. Anna touches her head again, and already it feels cooler than before. That's good, right?

Elsa doesn't have time for that. She scrambles from the bed and makes her way to the kitchen on drunken legs. Anna follows close behind in case she falls over or something.

She stands to the side when Elsa opens the fridge, and trains her eyes on the bite mark left there on her throat. It's red and inflamed and it _felt _like the right thing to do at the time, but now Anna's not so sure. Elsa's never reacted to a bite like this before – then again, it wasn't a typical wound, either.

Elsa pulls a bottle from the fridge, unscrewing the cap. She tilts her head back and takes a long swill, and Anna watches as her throat, the bite there, shifts with every pull.

And then her eyes drag up because there's a line of liquid spilling over Elsa's mouth, but it isn't water. It's dark and red and Anna's heart just falls and she can't even explain it.

She wanted this, right?

But then Elsa stops drinking. She pulls the bottle away and sucks in a breath and looks at Anna. Her mouth is covered in the synthetic blood and it looks so _hot_ but Anna hates herself for even thinking that. She can feel her face scrunch up and she darts forward to bury it in Elsa's shoulder.

"_I'm sorry, Elsa_," she chokes out, blinking back tears.

"I'm- I'm okay now," she says, but Anna just shakes her head. Holds a little tighter. Because Elsa's world is going to fall apart the moment she realises and Anna wants to keep her together as long as possible.

But then everything freezes as it all catches up to Elsa. She inhales sharply as her legs give way. Anna catches her. The bottle shatters.

"_Oh God_."


	3. Chapter 3

There isn't a lot to say. Elsa pushes Anna away, _fights her_ off just so she can run to the bathroom. Anna follows her and bangs on the door when she realises Elsa's locked it, but there's _nothing she can do_.

She hears Elsa throw up, and her heart breaks because it's just going to make it worse. Elsa was _fine_ after drinking that, but without those nutrients, she's going to get sick again.

Elsa didn't want this.

The very thought sucker-punches Anna in the gut, and it really doesn't take long for her to start crying, too. Elsa didn't want this but now she's got it and– and it's Anna's fault. If Anna had just left her alone, if she hadn't dragged Elsa into her life, she wouldn't be near vampires to turn her.

Oh God. _Anna did this_.

Pulling herself up, she returns to the bedroom. Grabs a bag and shoves her stuff into it because Elsa... Elsa's not going to want to see her. Elsa's going to want nothing to do with her and Anna... she deserves that. After everything she's done.

She can't make this better.

She's off in the night before Elsa returns.

* * *

Elsa goes on leave for work. She tries to fight it – it can't be true, right? – but then she has to clean up the mess in the kitchen. She has to deal with the smell and wanting to taste it while simultaneously wanted to throw up again because she doesn't _want_ this. She never wanted this!

And Anna's left. Her stuff, or some of it, is gone, and Elsa doesn't know if she'll be back. She leaves plenty of angry messages and voicemails before they turn softer. She's not angry at Anna for doing this to her (well, she is, but also not). She's angry at Anna for leaving her.

It's why she finds herself at Anna's parents' place, five days after the party.

Anna's mother answers the door, and it's possible she can already tell, or maybe Anna's already told her. She ushers Elsa inside and- yep, there's Anna. Slumming it in her pyjamas, looking just as shitty as Elsa feels.

Elsa can't move. She can't even remember why she came here, why it had seemed like a good idea, because it really, really isn't. Anna's mouth gapes and her eyes trawl over Elsa, taking everything in.

The dark spots under her eyes, the pallid tone of her skin. She's lost weight, Elsa can see it; Anna's absolutely drowning in her jumper and jeans.

"Els..." Anna murmurs, and it's enough to have Elsa trembling because she wants Anna back. She needs _help_, and she doesn't know where else to get it. Those vampire forums – and it felt so long ago that she used it to help Anna – don't seem to be as useful.

One message, telling her to go to the police because being turned against her will isn't just wrong, it's completely _illegal_, had her breaking down because Anna- Anna wouldn't do that, right?

She doesn't have an answer because she can't ask. So, she deleted her account and logged off and tried not to think about it.

At least they had plenty of food in the fridge before Anna... absconded.

Maybe Anna can see her shake, can see the conflict as it wars on her face because in a flash she's up and next to Elsa, not touching her yet. Her eyes don't meet Elsa's, focused down in a guilty look, and Elsa realises that Anna blames herself.

She breaks. She throws her arms around Anna because she wants some familiar comfort. The last week has been so lonely, all these big changes and Anna hasn't been around to help.

She was there for Anna, so why wasn't Anna there for her?

"I- I didn't think I had the right..."

It's only when Anna responds that Elsa realises she's asked the question out loud. She feels strong arms come up to hold her, just like they had that fateful night, and Elsa lets herself sink into Anna.

She cries until she can't; until she's exhausted and dehydrated, and then she cries some more because this means she'll have to eat and she can't stomach that thought right now.

Eventually, Anna leads her away, upstairs to a bedroom. She locks the door and lies down next to Elsa on the bed. Elsa curls into her, and they just lie together, seeking an intimate sort of comfort that only they can give each other.

Elsa can only hope Anna's still there when she wakes up.

* * *

They have a lot to talk about, but Elsa doesn't know where to start. Anna goes downstairs and comes back with something to eat; it tastes delicious and Elsa hates herself for it. She wants to go and throw it up as soon as she's done, but Anna stops her. She says things like "it's synthetic" and "you need the energy" and "I'm sorry, Elsa" and it doesn't help at all.

She feels disgusting, and Anna's never had to deal with this so how can she possibly know how it feels?

"This is all my fault," she says after Elsa's forced down a glass of synthetic blood. Anna had offered the real stuff, but Elsa had almost thrown up then and there just from the mere suggestion.

"Why did you do it?" she asks, lip trembling. "You- you _knew_ I d-didn't want this-s-s..."

Anna looks at her, eyes wide and pleading. "I- I didn't mean to, Els. I would _never_ do this, not on purpose!"

Elsa's bottom lip trembles, and she fights back tears. "But- but you bit me, Anna—"

"I've done that before!" Anna interrupts, voice insistent.

"It was a _turning bite_, Anna, what did you expect?!"

That shuts her up. Anna looks at Elsa, eyes wide for a moment.

And then they narrow and fill with tears, and her bottom lip shakes and suddenly she's _sobbing_ into her hands and Elsa's at a bit of a loss.

"_I didn't know!" _Anna forces out. "_I'm sorry, Elsa, please don't hate me!_"

Elsa doesn't hate her even though she should. Elsa _loves_ her, and that's why this hurts so much.

Anna's tears subside eventually, and she wipes her face with her hand. "How did this happen?" she asks, which only makes Elsa look at her blankly.

"You- you bit me. And then I must have had some of your blood because—"

"Wait wait wait, hold on," Anna says, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "Okay so I maybe didn't listen in school very much but... don't you need to blood of the vampire who bit you? When did you drink my blood?"

Elsa opens her mouth to answer, and then pauses. She tries again, lifting a finger, but doesn't get past a "Well," because... she ddoesn't have an answer for that. Anna doesn't stop.

"And you had to have had it between me biting you before we went out and waking up sick at home, right? So that's what, six hours? What did you have to eat or drink?"

"Nothing- just..." Oh God, Jesus Christ, holy shit. She swallows and looks at Anna. "I- I was talking to Hans. He brought me a drink. It was—" what was it again? "Vodka and... strawberry? No- cranberry. It was a vodka cranberry. I thought... I thought it tasted weird but that it was probably just the vodka or something..."

"You- wait, you said _Hans_ got you a drink?"

Elsa nods. "But he wouldn't have your blood, so that's a moot point. Right?"

Anna doesn't meet her eyes.

"_Right?_"

"He... it's traditional..." Anna starts, voice small. "F-for the wedding. We add it to the wine – vampire blood is a bit of an intoxicant, right? And it symbolises that we're part of each other. An easy way to get around monogamy issues when you literally drink the blood of your spouse."

"Oh God..."

Elsa wants to cry again, but she's not sure if it's a new type of anger, or relief that it wasn't all Anna. It was hardly her at all, really, because she didn't know, didn't do it on purpose.

"Anna..." Elsa says. "Please come home." Her eyes are wide. She wants Anna back, she _needs_ her back because she can't navigate this herself. "Please don't leave again."

Anna won't. She throws her arms around Elsa, squeezing her tight as Elsa finally breaks down again. "I won't. I'm sorry, I- I was scared. I thought I'd fucked your life and you'd never want to see me again. I shouldn't have run..."

Elsa shakes her head against Anna's shoulder. She's shaking, but the sobs are silent. She knows Anna's sorry. She knows Anna won't run again.

It's going to be okay. It has to be.

* * *

There's another new type of teething period as Anna moves back in. She'd gotten a job at a bar, and it's going well; good, because the thought of Elsa returning back to work is one she can't quite stomach yet.

It's not the only thing.

She still struggles to eat, no matter how delicious Anna makes the meal, no matter how hard she works at disguising the taste. It's not healthy at all, but the thought of stomaching her new source of nutrients is enough to have Elsa feeling nauseous for hours.

She hates eating. She'll do it in front of Anna, and then be up half the day throwing it up while Anna sleeps.

Her schedule has to change. She gets another vet to work the day shift, so they become a 24-hour clinic. Overall, she has less to do because very few people need a vet at three in the morning.

It's not just that, either. They share a bed, but Elsa can't bring herself to kiss Anna, let alone touch her. Her body craves, but it also craves blood and that makes her feel like shit too, so why should she give in to this? Anna frequently sleeps in her bat-form, but at least she's still in the bedroom when she does it, asleep in the closet hanging off the clothes rail.

There are other changes that are far more noticable. Elsa's eating an apple because at least she can still enjoy the taste of human food when there's a _crack_ that makes her sick to her stomach. She she pulls it out, there's a _tooth_ in the fruit. And she knows why but it's still shit.

It takes about a week for her fangs to come through.

Immediately, there's a change.

Blood doesn't make her sick. The _thought_ of it doesn't make her sick. She still hates herself, of course, but now she can keep it down, at least.

She comes home from work one morning, and Anna's already in the kitchen making some kind of curry. It smells divine, but Elsa can also smell something else. She moves close to Anna, her front pressing into Anna's back as she wraps her arms around her and just breathes.

How had she never noticed this before? Noticed how Anna smelled. Is that another vampiric ability? It's not like she can turn into a bat yet – not that she really cares for that. Anna turns her head, and a braid falls back over her shoulder so Elsa can clearly see her neck.

She licks her lips and swallows thickly. What had Anna said? It was like an intoxicant... that it symbolised being together. She presses her face into the skin, kissing gently. They haven't touched each other since before everything, but right now, Elsa wants to be with Anna. She wants to taste her, the way Anna would taste _her_.

"Let's go to bed," she murmurs gently. She feels Anna swallow thickly.

"But- dinner—?"

"It'll keep..." Elsa's lips move to kiss her again, unwilling to talk at the moment. Anna sucks in a breath.

And then she's turning around and Elsa's kissing her on the lips. Their fangs click together, and kissing is harder than it used to be. She accidentally nicks Anna's tongue, but it doesn't seem to bother either of them. Anns's just happy to be kissing her, and it tastes sweeter than Elsa had ever expected.

She's tasted Anna's blood before, back when it hadn't mattered, and it hardly seems real that it could taste so much better now.

Before she even realises, her lips are on Anna's neck and her teeth are sinking in. Anna gasps and at the first taste of blood Elsa jerks herself away.

She's just as bad as Hans, taking things without permission. Anna's got tears in her eyes and Elsa wants to throw up again.

"Anna, I'm so—"

"Elsa." The single word succeeds in silencing Elsa's poor attempt at an apology. Anna takes a step forward and rests her hands on Elsa's hips. "Elsa, it's okay. I- I _want_ you to do this."

"D-do what?" Because truthfully, Elsa's not even sure what she was doing. Anna just smiles.

"Whatever you want."

Elsa darts forward, fusing their lips together with such ferocity that Anna momentarily loses her balance. She can taste her own blood in Elsa's mouth, and it's so fucking hot that she finds herself responding almost immediately. She lifts a leg and wraps it around Elsa, hips already rolling.

She can't say she hadn't missed this when Elsa was a human; when her only experiences with sex had been with other vampires, and blood and scratches and something _rough_ wasn't only expected, it was the norm.

"Again," she hisses. "Bite me again, Els."

Her technique is off, but Elsa does so without complaint. She _wants_ this, and maybe doing it like this, with so many positive connections, is exactly what she needs.

Anna's blood is ambrosia to her, and she alternates between kissing Anna and drinking it.

"Oh God, Elsa," Anna cries. Her hips give a particularly hard rut against Elsa, and she chokes. "I want to taste you," she says, Elsa's lips still fused to her neck. "Let me bite you, _please_."

Elsa just nods.

* * *

Only after they're finished – after Elsa's made Anna finish several times, actually, and had the favour returned – and they're lying on the bed, does Elsa speak. She's delirious from the orgasms – plural – and the blood, and she buries her face in Anna's neck just so she can keep smelling her.

"I'm sorry," she says softly, eyes shut. "For blaming you. It- I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me on purpose."

She feels Anna suck in a breath. She doesn't say anything for a moment, and when she does speak, Elsa can _hear_ the water in her voice. "It's usually consensual," she says, voice cracking. "It- both parties want it. If you're in a relationship, it's because you l-love each other and—" She cuts herself off, wiping her face with a hand. "I- we s-skipped a few steps, I guess."

Elsa pulls her head away so she can properly look at Anna. She's crying, but not nearly as bad as Anna, who has tears filling up her eyes and spilling over her cheeks.

"Anna—"

"I l-love you, Elsa," Anna interrupts. "Even before this happened, I loved you. B-but I was scared because you'd have to go eventually. I wanted you to be a v-vampire _so bad_ but you never mentioned it and I didn't want to bring it up."

She sits up, pressing the palms of her hands into her eyes. Elsa follows her, but this time, she doesn't try to speak. She waits patiently for Anna to begin talking, because it's clear she has more to say but she doesn't know how to say it. It can't be any worse than this, right?

"I- I wanted you to be a vampire so we could be t-together forever," Anna admits softly, "and so w-when I realised you were turned... just before you realised yourself... I thought- I thought—" She cuts herself off again, this time with a sob. She's biting her fist, trying to hold them back, and Elsa can't bear to see her in pain so she moves close, wrapping her in a huge from behind. It just makes Anna sob harder.

"It's okay, Anna," Elsa tells her gently, squeezing tight. "It's okay."

"You were so _hot_," she finally says. "With- with the blood around your mouth. I was so... so _ready_ for you, but then you realised, and _I_ realised and- and who the fuck thinks that? I knew you'd hate it, but I'd gotten exactly what I wanted, and for a moment I was so... _fucking happy_."

Elsa doesn't know how to respond. She goes very still, mind processing everything.

But Anna's not done.

"I wanted that," she continues, no longer crying, "but... I fell in love with you as a human."

Elsa _really_ doesn't know what to say now. Does Anna... is that love not there anymore?

God. It had been so easy to believe that, as a human, she wasn't good enough for Anna. Vampire Anna, who had only ever loved or been with other vampires. Who had to be gentle with sex, lest Elsa break; had to brush her teeth before kisses and be careful of getting blood on Elsa's nice clothes.

But... it hadn't been like that at all.

"Anna..." Elsa starts. She's not sure where she's going with this, but she doesn't have a chance to figure it out. Anna turns around, silencing her with a thumb on her lips. Slowly, she drags it up, revealing one pristine fang.

"Your fangs should have come through ages ago. A few days after... it happened. But, you fought it because you didn't want it, so they didn't appear. It's probably only because I've been forcing you to eat that they came through at all."

Elsa grabs her head and tries to kiss her, but Anna jerks away. "Anna! It's- it's okay. I'm okay, now."

"_Now_, Elsa. Not before. Now that you've got your fangs and the transformation is actually complete. But you didn't want this. You _never_ wanted this. If- if it hadn't been for me, this wouldn't have happened."

She's standing up, and all those good feelings Elsa had bubbling inside her earlier are gone. Now she just feels empty. Swallowing thickly, she tucks her knees under her chin and blinks back tears. Anna slumps, head in her hands.

"Am... are we breaking up?" Elsa asks, and she can't help the way the tears infect her voice, making it weak and watery.

Anna scoffs. "You shouldn't want to be with me," she says, still not looking at Elsa. "I- I _abandoned you_. When you probably needed me the most. When nothing made any sense at all and everything was changing and I... I ran away, Elsa."

Elsa doesn't know what to say to that, so she says nothing at all. She's trying to freeze her heart because she's pretty sure Anna's about to break it and she doesn't know if she'll survive that.

But instead of saying anything else that will hurt, Anna rubs her eyes. She stands up and says, "I'm... going to have a shower..." She grabs a pair of panties and a shirt and leaves Elsa on the bed. Elsa isn't crying – she's managed to fight it down – but only just.

She needs... she needs to fix this. There _has_ to be a way to fix this. Even if she can't turn back, there's gotta be something she can do.

When the shower turns on, she reaches for Anna's phone. The password hasn't changed, and it's easy to get into her contacts. Selecting one, she brings it up to her ear.

* * *

Anna doesn't want to run away again, but she doesn't know what to do other than escape to the bathroom. Let the water hide the tears, the sound cover her sobs as she sits on the floor and just weeps.

She never cried this much before she met Elsa.

Finally she drags herself to her feet. Grabs the soap and begins the slow process of cleaning up. They should have talked before sleeping together again. It wasn't fair on Elsa – and now that Anna's revealed how fucked up in the head she is, there's no way Elsa's going to let her stay. She just couldn't think of a way to reveal that.

So, Anna had to get away. She's not- she's not going to _run_, not again, but at the same time, there's no way Elsa's going to want her around.

Right?

"Anna?" Elsa knocks on the door, jerking Anna from her thoughts. It's a quiet word, and over the stream of the shower and her own thoughts, Anna almost misses it. "Can I come in?"

Anna puts the soap down and runs a hand over her face. "Yeah..."

It's not that she doesn't want to see Elsa. It's that... why does Elsa want to see her?

More than see her, apparently. The door opens, but Elsa doesn't sit on the toilet or lean against the basin. She moves into the shower, arms wrapping around Anna's middle as she comes to stand behind her.

"Els—"

"Anna..." Elsa's head comes down to press against the top of Anna's spine. Her fingers flex against Anna's drenched flesh as the spray of the shower covers them both. "Anna, I..." she huffs out a breath and gives a little laugh. "I love you too, I guess. You didn't really give me a chance to say it back but..." Her arms tighten their hold, and she leaves a small kiss on Anna's shoulder.

"Elsa..."

"Shh, Anna," Elsa shushes her. She leaves another kiss, and then another, and it's almost like... she knows how much Anna blames herself. How much she _hates_ herself for the part she's played. Elsa's desperate to show her that she shouldn't; to drown out that guilt and fill it with affection instead.

She doesn't kiss her shoulder again because by then Anna's turned around, properly hugging Elsa now. Elsa lets her hands move to cup Anna's cheeks as she kisses her softly, soundly. As she pours all her love into the kiss, she can feel Anna melt beneath her.

They don't leave the shower for a long time, and Elsa can only hope that Anna has started to forgive herself by the time they finish.

After all, Elsa has.


End file.
